Regenerative braking can be used to recapture residual kinetic energy stored in an instrument. Kinetic energy stored as inertial motion can be applied to a motor, which acts like a generator during regenerative braking operation to convert the kinetic energy into electricity. This electricity can then be stored in a battery or returned to a power grid.
One important consideration for efficient use of power is that the power factor of the instrument should be as close to unity as possible. Power factor is calculated as the cosine of the phase angle between current and voltage. As the angle approaches zero (voltage and current are in-phase), power factor approaches one. This results in the most efficient power transmission. As power factor approaches zero (voltage and current are out-of-phase), power efficiency is degraded.
Another important consideration for efficient use of power is that the total harmonic distortion of the instrument should be as low as possible. The total harmonic distortion is obtained from the summation of all harmonics of a waveform in a system, compared against the fundamental waveform. When a system acts as a non-linear load, the system draws a distorted waveform that contains harmonics. These harmonics can have detrimental effects on the system, such as increasing current in the system or additional core loss in motors, both of which result in excessive heating in the system.